Via the Agriville forum;
…. [Farmer Direct (FD) Co-operative in Regina, Saskatchewan] holds an annual spring marketing meeting for shareholders, and this year, they again invited some of their US buyers to be present to meet with farmers to promote potential contracting and farmer-buyer relationships.
One of the chronic problems both FD and growers face, is the Canadian Wheat Board’s buyback, (now dubbed PDS). Farmers need a resolution to this ever re-occurring problem, and I believe it was probably for this reason that FD invited the Canadian Wheat Board to speak with their shareholders, and consequently, both CWB elected Directors Mr. Rod Flaman and Mr. Kyle Korneychuck attended.
With three Americans present, Mr. Flaman on a power-point presentation, referenced some Bilateral Trade Agreement countries that the USA had entered into in specific yrears, including: Peru in 2005, Columbia in 2006, Ecuador in process, and Mexico in 2006. Mr. Flaman described these US agreements as side deals, and obviously, was not happy with them. He referred to the tariff disadvantage resulting from these American “side deals”.
He was definitely displeased with the USA.. He continued to tell FD shareholders that, “We (the CWB) used to have 100% of the Moroccan markets. We’re going to be shut out of that now.” Everyone got the message….. Americans are rotters.
Considering that FD had invited the Americans to contract with their farmer members, and the Americans had already been introduced, and considering it was a time for cordiality and good will, the CWB’s message was not only inappropriate, but mean spirited. The CWB quickly became a source of embarassment. To say Mr. Korneychuck and Mr. Flaman were not well received, would be an inderstatement, particulary a little later, when Mr. Korneychuck referred to the USA as bullies.
I arose and made a motion that aknowledged Americans as organic’s best buyers because
a) Americans are good to deal with,
b) Americans speak the same language,
c) Americans pay their bills, and
d) Americans pay top prices.
The President of Farmer Direct, Gene Davis, spontaneoulsy seconded the motion and it was overwhelmingly passed by the shareholders.
The Americans present, then stated that the most problems they had doing business in Canada was with the Canadian Wheat Board. It was embarassing.
We never want this kind of fiasco to happen to any other producers ever again. Producers worked hard to develop this market and we do not need a Government institution to come and insult any valued buyers. Was the CWB trying to sour the existing relationships because the CWB wants to now take over marketing organics?
This snapshot should provide you with the very reason why so many organic producers want NO association with the Canadian Wheat Board and do not want the CWB to become our business partner. We cannot afford a business partner like this.
You should be aware that later on in the meeting, another motion was passed.
“The Canadian Wheat Board issues no-buyback export licenses to organic farmers in Ontario. Be it resoved that the Canadian Wheat Board issue no buyback licenses to organic farmers in Western Canada the same as they do for farmers in Ontario.”
32 farmer-shareholders voted for the motion . There was 0 producers voted against the motion.
Mr. Flaman and Mr. Korneychuck both seemed unprepared to vote to support this motion at a CWB Board of Directors’ meeting.
(slightly reformatted from original)
More – they’re an equal opportunity insulter!
Hope the dual desk option is set up for wheat farmers soon…with all the revelations of poisoned wheat gluten getting into pet food demand should be up for a secure source closer to home.
Speaking of insults go to the following web address to hear what CWB director Bill Toews says about his boss.
http://www.siemenssays.com/?p=4899
Insult the farmers by ignoring their property rights, insult them further by ignoring their voice in the plebiscite, insult their boss the Minister, insult the customer.
Do they actually market anything other than left-wing ideology and insults?
So why, exactly, does PMSH’s government not simply toss the CWB into the trash bin of history?
I wonder if these rats can smell that their ship is on fire. These guys think that they are speaking on behalf of all western farmers, that couldn’t be any further from the truth. They are speaking from their own brainwashed idiology and not on my behalf. I hope they sink with the “SS CWB” and that would be a great day. Knock another hole below the waterline CHUCK!
These slime know there are only there to protect the power corp group from discovery. To think they think there are speaking on behalf of all western farmers is to be rather nieve.
Lets see how much paulie and his pals have made from this crime against freedom.
To most of SDA and western Canadians, this juvenile behavior is nothing new. It is kind of like the spoilt kid who now realizes he has to share his toys.
To state the obvious solution would be redundant on this blog as it has been well documented.
Interesting, were is Ted or whatever he is chosing to go by today for a name got to say for himself.
Taking Kate’s lead on this whole CWB subject I wrote this letter to the Edmonton journal which was published yesterday:
Letters Editor:
Re: “Is CWB vote beginning of the end?” This editorial is ill informed and flawed, contains at least one falsehood, and relies completely on hypothetical argument to support the doom and gloom headline.
The contention that the plebiscite was “confusing, one sided and supposedly non binding” may be the editorialist’s opinion but that opinion is likely only held by those who favour forcing individuals to always submit to the opinion of the group to which they belong whether it is in their own best interests or not. Surely there should be room for individuals to go their own way if does not materially effect the well being of the larger group.
The false hood is where it is contended that the CWB belongs to the government. The CWB Act states that “The corporation is not an agent of her Majesty and is not a Crown corporation—.” It is entirely supported by farmer’s money and the Federal Government only steps in to back necessary financing loans..
As for hypothetical arguments, I should be justified in arguing that prairie farmers will consistently make an extra fifty cents per bushel when they are finally allowed to sell their crops in any manner they see fit. If you say I cannot prove that, I say that you cannot prove your arguments that the changes being proposed by Agriculture Minister Strahl will have any deleterious effects whatsoever.
R M Wood
Here’s a thought – let the farmers decide.
I heard yesterday, the cwb is considering sueing the gov. over this barley vote!
Imagine, of course they want to use farmers money to do it!
Feed barley TODAY is 3.25 bu. seven miles from my home s/e sask.
malt barley is about 2.30 bu. intial with whatever is left over after their court action, comeing to me over the next year.
It looks to me like someone is going to be short a brew or two, and all my money will be in my pocket in a week or two! to hell with the cwb!
I also think a class action law suite is in order to get our 1000.00 bonus cheques back!!!
What a spoilt bunch of maggott’s.
I think i’ll go see Tony!
Bob Wood,
Excellent response to the editorial. I don’t farm but I have many friends that do and they are thrilled with the vote. I am not sure how they put up with the situation for so long.
However, good on you farmers who voted to free yourselves!
The President of Farmer Direct, Gene Davis, spontaneoulsy seconded the motion and it was overwhelmingly passed by the shareholders.
🙂
I saw a guy from the wheat board on the bus apparently not only do they get $1000 stress bonus’s he also has a soft briefcase that says Canadian Wheat Board on it!
The whiny farmers got to pay for that. He must do nice things for them in return,…
All Western wheat farmers want the wheat board, just ask professor Dion, who wouldn’t know wheat from oats or shit from shiolla and Eastern potato farmer Wayne Easter, he’s the guy who can be heard a mile away without a bull horn.
Then there’s Ralphy Goodale, he wouldn’t want to go against the grain now would he?
This is maybe very naive, but why couldn’t the government just make it legal for farmers to sell to whomever they please?
Turn the farmers loose and let the CWB sink or swim.
If the house were only sitting we would be witness to the human form of theodore chipmunk, aka Wayne Easter screaming his potato head off about the nerve of these Americans appearing at this meeting. Those American hating lieberals are shaking in their hush puppies as Chuck {norris} Strahl gets ever closer to the truth and finally opens the books on another stinking lieberal money theft ring. Go hard Chuck any hard working proud farmer that is worth a thing wants you to expose this violator of basic human rights, called the wheat board, oh yes I consider it against my human rights to have to market my wheat through this mafia when a farmer in ont. que. can sell wherever he likes to. Thanks Kate, keep up the good work.
Expropriating private property in Canada shouldn’t even be subject to a vote, that’s a tyranny of democracy, government sanctioned expropriation should simply be outlawed.
If the CWB provides such great service to farmers then they have nothing to worry about, farmers will realize that.
According to Cherniak’s Blog this evening Dion is in Toronto for a Liberal rally.
Cherniak wrote all about Dion’s inspiring speech including:
“Dion brought up farmers and the wheat board to great applause – in Toronto!!!! ”
Arn’t we out west just so happy that those people IN TORONTO care so much about our farmers that they applaud a monopoly that would send them to jail for trying to sell their own wheat!!!
More from Cherniak:
“He also spoke about how the Tories are ignoring aboriginal Canadians. Dion is here to talk about a “richer, fairer, greener” Canada – the three pillars in digestible form.”
Wouldn’t we all like to be “ignored” like the first nations people are with 10.5 BILLION per year!!!
National Post
4 April, 2007
Letters
Ken Ritter
Against the grain
Re: Voting out a monopolist, Colby Cosh, March 30.
Mr. Cosh is no doubt an expert in marketing grain and in running a business.
I would ask him and his readers the following question: Would you invest in a company whose success is 100% dependent on its competitors?
That is exactly the scenario in the barley ballot of Chuck Strahl, the Minister of Agriculture.
That is why we, the board of directors of the Canadian Wheat Board, have stated consistently that the CWB cannot be viable in this scenario.
The real choice farmers face is the continuance of the single desk where farmers band together to market as one, or the open market where 75,000 farmers compete against each other to sell to a handful of buyers.
Farmers were not offered that real choice in this plebiscite.
Ken Ritter, chairman, CWB board of directors and a grain farmer from Kindersley, Sask.
Note from Parsley:
“Would you invest in a company whose success is 100% dependent on these fruitcake directors?”
Maybe someone should throw in a few tribles into their QUADROTRICAKELLI
“This is maybe very naive, but why couldn’t the government just make it legal for farmers to sell to whomever they please?”
I think that should be: the governemnt should stop making it illegal for farmers to sell to whomever they please”.
“This is maybe very naive, but why couldn’t the government just make it legal for farmers to sell to whomever they please?”
I think that should be: the governemnt should stop making it illegal for farmers to sell to whomever they please”.
Little Tobacco, There is two ways that the CWB imposes a monopoly.
1st the Canada Grain Act and CWB act have declarations that all elevators, mills, cleaners etc. are “WORKS FOR THE GENERAL ADVANTAGE OF CANADA” and this gives the CWB legal control over buyers of wheat and barley in the west. So,while farmers here are “free” to sell, no one (of commercial consequence) is allowed to buy from them.
2nd. Since the government can’t control buyers out of the country, the Act requires all exporters to have export licences. Farmers in Eastern Canada are readily granted them by the CWB, but the CWB denies licences to western farmers, thereby forcing prairie farmers to sell to the CWB.
The export taxes were put in in 1947 to tax exports and imports (payable to the government) so that farmers would provide reasonable priced wheat to England after the war. Now with NAFTA, there is no export tax payable, but the CWB uses the licence requirements as a prohibition.
The CWB control of elevators and mills etc. is legal, the arbitrary and discriminatory denial of export licences is not authorized by the Act.
Farmers grain is AGRICULTURE and the CWB Act is TRADE AND COMMERCE. The Government needs to put a stop to the CWB’s illegal behavior.
You farmers are a bunch of spoiled brats and you want it all.